Self-destructing mosquitoes are maybe possibly my favorite invention of the century. Okay, smartphones and Spotify are pretty great, too, but having just spent a couple of weeks in bug-infested New England, I might be a taaaad biased. »7/11/15 12:00pm 7/11/15 12:00pm

It used to be that making cheese meant killing cows. Young cows, specifically—a few days old, at most. The stomach of an unweaned calf produces enzymes that turn liquid milk into good, hard, flavorful cheeses like Parmesan and Cheddar. These enzymes, called rennet, are secreted by mucous membranes that line the calf’s… »6/15/15 3:17pm 6/15/15 3:17pm

The fear of genetically-modified creatures escaping from the lab is the basis for a thousand sci-fi stories, but it’s also a legitimate concern. That’s why genetic engineers are inventing kill switches, or genetically-encoded suicide triggers, for GMOs they want to keep contained. Here’s how they work.»5/22/15 2:20pm 5/22/15 2:20pm

CRISPR, a new genome editing tool, could transform the field of biology—and a recent study on genetically-engineered human embryos has converted this promise into media hype. But scientists have been tinkering with genomes for decades. Why is CRISPR suddenly such a big deal?»5/06/15 2:10pm 5/06/15 2:10pm

I have loved a lot of Craigslist ads in my time, but I truly love this one the most. It sounds like a plot ripped from The Avengers or Fantastic Four, crossed with VC-funded biotech startup madness. »4/10/15 12:39am 4/10/15 12:39am

One of the biggest challenges of the 21st century will be figuring out how to feed our rising global population. Now, some scientists are making the radical claim that growing more food won't be enough—we literally need to hack photosynthesis. »3/28/15 10:00am 3/28/15 10:00am

It's easy to forget how horrifying the effects of a vitamin deficiency can be. Each year, up to 500,000 children in the developing world go blind from lack of vitamin A, half of whom will then die within 12 months. The molecule that could save their lives is so well-studied and abundant, yet we haven't figured out how… »2/04/15 2:40pm 2/04/15 2:40pm

What if we could grow rice and wheat with the same amount of water and fertilizer but end up with 50 percent more food? Sound like magic? Bad accounting? No, just some chemistry and genetic engineering. Scientists have recently figured out the second of three steps to make photosynthesis a whole lot more efficient in…»9/17/14 3:17pm 9/17/14 3:17pm

Most of your exposure to silk probably comes in the form of uncomfortably sensual linens or cobwebs in a dusty old closet. In reality, though, silk is an incredible and overlooked material. While it may have roots in the ancient past, it could also form the building blocks of the future. »4/26/13 9:30am 4/26/13 9:30am

When scientists Phillipe Horvath and Rodolphe Barrangou set out to find a better way to make yogurt, they didn't expect to stumble across one of the future's most promising discoveries: a super protein that can accurately cut DNA—and could perhaps revolutionize genetic engineering. »3/20/13 9:15am 3/20/13 9:15am

There's a fundamental stumbling block when it comes to building a base on Mars, and that's getting all the building materials there in the first place. No problem, though, because NASA is busy engineering space bugs that will turn the crap on the planet into building materials to help make the hostile planet habitable. »10/05/12 8:45am 10/05/12 8:45am

In 2008, after what has been referred to as an "unusually severe storm," a Panama facility for genetically engineered AquAdvantage® Salmon lost its first commercial-size batch of fish. The entire batch—poof!—vanished. »6/06/12 9:40pm 6/06/12 9:40pm

Breakfast can be a pretty depressing ordeal, especially on these cold, dark mornings. Why not genetically engineer your yogurt to turn it into into a pharmacy-grade anti-depressent? That ought cheer the process up. Here's how to do it. »2/15/12 9:33am 2/15/12 9:33am

Some lucky old mice at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have been given the gift of youth. Researchers reversed their age-related wrinkles, muscle wasting and cataracts, and it could lead to a fountain of youth for humans, too. »11/02/11 8:00pm 11/02/11 8:00pm

Scientists have bred mosquitoes in Guatemala that will cause mosquito genocide when they mate with normal mosquitoes. The idea is to thwart disease spread by the insects, in this case dengue fever. »10/24/11 12:40pm 10/24/11 12:40pm

The creature depicted here is both between and beyond classifications. Every bit as cunning as a megashark, even deadlier than a crocosaurus. It is terrifying, it is awe-inspiring. It is $24.99 at Party City. »9/06/11 9:20pm 9/06/11 9:20pm

Amidst all the concern going around that cows' milk is bad for you, Chinese scientists have found a way to fix the problem: By genetically engineering cows to produce human breast milk. Is soy milk just not in favor yet? »6/08/11 9:20pm 6/08/11 9:20pm